The present invention is directed to a machine for smoothing a turfed area to remove undulations. More specifically, the present invention is related to a turfplaner which comprises hydraulically activated levelers and a laser level guidance system. Even more specifically, the present invention is related to an improved gimbal for attachment of an implement to a three-point hitch of a tractor with a preferred implement including a turfplaner.
There are many environments wherein a level grass surface is of utmost importance. By way of example, without limit thereto, are airplane runways, golf courses, sports fields and the like. Leveling a large area has never been an exact science. The most common technique is to utilize a box blade, also referred to as a landscaping box, which has a forward cutting blade and a rearward drag blade. The forward cutting blade gathers materials from high spots and drags the material along while riding on the rearward drag blade. The material from the high spots is deposited in the low spots thereby decreasing undulations. One disadvantage with a box blade is that the variation from gravitational planarity is mostly a function of the tractor used to pull the box blade. It is difficult to change the general contour with a box blade and doing so generally requires many passes.
A particular advantage of smooth turf is a decrease in injuries to users of the turf. This is particularly true with athletes, or horses, wherein injury can occur if uneven turf is encountered. Yet another problem with fine turf areas is weed growth. Weed killers, pre-emergent chemicals and the like have lost favor due to the perceived problems of run-off and unintended deposition.
Implements, such as a turfplaner, for use behind a tow vehicle, such as a tractor, can be mounted such that the movement is uncorrelated to the tow vehicle or it can be correlated to the tow vehicle. With a conventional three-point hitch, for example, any movement of the tractor perpendicular to the direction of travel will translate into a similar movement in the implement. With some implements this may be desirable but with many, such as a turfplaner, it is highly undesirable. There has been a long standing need for a mount which can be used with a three-point hitch which un-correlates the movement of the implement perpendicular to the direction of travel from the movement of the tractor perpendicular to the direction of travel.
Tractors, and particularly the standard three-point hitch of a tractor, are particularly desirable tow vehicles. The standard three-point hitch has the advantage of being able to vertically lift an implement by, typically, hydraulic power. Tractors are also typically available at locations where a turf planer is likely to be used which decreases the requirement that a tractor be transported to every site of operation. Unfortunately, standard three point hitches do not allow the implement to rotate on the axis of the direction of travel. This is normally a desired feature since it important in many instances to lift an implement without rotation. With some implements, such as a turf planer the implement needs to have rotational freedom relative to the tow vehicle yet the lift features associated with a three point hitch may still be desirable for transport and the like. There is currently no suitable connection between a standard three point hitch and an implement which allows for rotational freedom during operation with selective and reversible fixing, eliminating or restricting the rotation for transport. A gimbal is provided herein which provides these necessary functions.